


Eternal(ly yours)

by DimensionalRoamer



Category: One Piece
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fanart, Feelings, Healthy Relationships, Property Destruction, Romance, Self-Insert, Smut, shameless flirting, someone give katakuri a medal for his restraint, this is worth reading I promise, we stan boyfriends like katakuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:08:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DimensionalRoamer/pseuds/DimensionalRoamer
Summary: Seeing her interact so easily with his men as they prepared to leave for another outing, Katakuri felt something in his chest twinge. He slowly placed a hand over his thumping heart.Then, the girl he was watching intently seemed to notice his stare because she turned around, grinned at him, and sent over an exaggerated wink.Katakuri’s face instantly turned dark.Now if only she would stop probing the limits of his restraint….----A heavily-teased Katakuri with the self-restraint of a saint, and a girl who would learn to regret her endless provocations later on (honestly, if she could go back in time to smack herself, she would). This is their story.Katakuri x OC. A collection of snapshots.
Relationships: Charlotte Katakuri/Original Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 311





	1. Origin (1)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for pure self-indulgement. Have fun reading, imagine yourself as OC, don't take this too seriously haha.
> 
> Inspirations: Enziroth, Lucia, CLOY, Naruto, all the various Chinese novels I’ve read, Adonis: Reminiscence + Eternal Bliss, On and Off (Webtoon), A Villainess is a good match for a Tyrant (Webtoon)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of how they met.

**Day 0**

Katakuri’s first impression of her is that she is small.

From the reports he had received – of her levelling an entire block of buildings near the central district on Komugi Island – he had expected her to be bigger. Even disregarding the stature of his family, most people on this side of the sea - especially the destructive ones - tended to be bigger.

Now though, looking at the tiny thing curled into a ball, bound in ropes and cuffed with seastone, he wondered if the reports were true. How was such a petite thing capable of such supposed destruction?

Kirayu lifted her head as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and her eyes grew slightly wide as they found the man who had just entered the room. He was massive! His frame completely dwarfed her figure, and he was at least 3 times her height. Moreover, from the aura she could feel emanating from his being – piercing and heavy – she knew instinctively that he was someone with power and status.

Kirayu’s eyes dimmed. _Shit, it won't be easy to leave._

Katakuri walked over to the chair that had been brought out for him and sat down. He crossed his legs and lazily gestured for the chess soldiers on guard to bring the girl over. As he’d thought, she was a petite little thing with a doll-like face and dark hair that fell to her waist. She had no notable muscle, and her entire frame was lean and lithe. He supposed she would be the delicate kind of pretty had she been proper, but now she was covered with streaks of dust, hair matted, and there was a slight gash across one of her cheeks.

The eyes though – a pair of honey-gold eyes stared defiantly and unflinchingly back at him.

Involuntarily, Katakuri’s lips curved into a smirk, well-hidden behind his scarf. The visible portion of his face, however, remained blank and unreadable.

Kirayu scowled as the chess soldiers dragged her over roughly and dumped her onto the floor before the man. She may be a captive, but she still had her dignity! Wiggling a little, she managed to sit up despite her constraints, and then she turned her full attention to the towering man sitting imposingly ahead, silent and assessing.

Tension filled the large, empty room.

Katakuri raised an eyebrow.

Usually, captives would have started rambling by this point, blabbering incoherently and seeking clemency for whatever it was they did. That is, if they hadn’t already wet themselves from receiving the full weight of his undivided stare.

Kirayu exhaled shakily. She could feel the power rolling off in waves from this man, and at that moment she knew she had run into some pretty big trouble. His stare was piercing and grounding, like nothing she had ever felt before, but she told herself to stay strong. It was fine. She’ll be fine. She could talk through this. She could negotiate. 

Another moment later, a low rumble broke the silence. “So, why did you invade the Big Mom territory?”

 _Shit, Big Mom Pirates?!_ If that was true, then Kirayu really might have bitten off more than she could chew this time.

Katakuri felt a flicker of amusement as he saw the girl before him visibly twitch from surprise before steadying herself. That, along with his Observation Haki, told him that she hadn’t come here purposefully with ill intentions. But still, he had to ask.

“Did you think you could spy on us, and leave alive?”

“I am not a spy,” the girl before him bit out with a small glare. It seemed she still had some fight left, despite the fact that she was probably having trouble breathing, what with the full extent of his aura resting heavily on her. “I tend to like living, thank you very much, and I know better than to pick a fight with the Big Mom Pirates.”

Katakuri leaned forward, his voice becoming serious. “Then what are you doing here.”

Kirayu couldn’t help the slight grimace she pulled. It really wasn’t her fault, and honestly, she really didn’t want to be here either, especially not now, knowing just who’s territory she had landed in. “I was testing something… and it blew me here. I didn’t mean to demolish the buildings, that’s just how I landed.”

Seeing the man’s unimpressed stare trained on her, Kirayu felt a moment of sheepishness and lowered her head. “I’m sorry…? Was the destruction very serious? Was anybody hurt?”

Katakuri’s brows furrowed. This girl was a little strange. She was completely at his mercy, and yet she kept her poise. Not only that, she even had the spare mind to be concerned about his citizens.

Katakuri pulled out a jellybean and started to toss it absentmindedly. A few throws later, he suddenly took aim at the wall behind the girl.

Kirayu didn’t even have the chance to react when an object whizzed past her head and landed with a deafening boom behind her. She hadn’t even seen what had happened, and the realization caused her to flinch.

Seeing her lightly trembling frame, Katakuri leaned back in satisfaction. He pulled out another jellybean and started to toss it up and down again. He noticed how the girl’s eyes zoned in on the candy as soon as he pulled it out this time.

“Do you have plans to harm this territory and its inhabitants?” Katakuri could see the answer with his foresight, but he still waited for the girl to respond.

“N-no, I don’t. I promise, I really came here by accident. In fact, if you let me go now, I swear I will never come back.” Kirayu mentally cursed her stutter. _Stay strong,_ she told herself.

If worse comes to worse… well, then she would fight.

She could probably get out of these constraints. The only reason the soldiers had managed to restrain her in the first place was because the impact of her fall had rendered her unconscious. If this man before her truly wanted to kill her, then, well, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. But until then, she would hope for the best. Kirayu really didn’t want to test her strength against the towering figure before her – she could already tell she would be overwhelmed.

Katakuri made a move to stand up. “Well, I don’t think we need to bother Mama with this.”

Seeing hope rising on her face, Katakuri smirked a little inside his scarf. He had noticed her body tense up just now, and while he wasn’t sure what a tiny thing like her could do – bound up and restrained as she was – it seemed as if she had been preparing to do something. _Will she show me something interesting if I keep her around?_

“But, I can’t just let you go. An investigation will be conducted. In the meantime, I suppose you can stay with me.”

\--

**Day 8**

“Hey. Hey, Katakuri-sama. What are we doing today?”

Over the last week, Kirayu had found out that not only did she have the good luck to crash-land into the island of one of the Big Mom Pirates' three commanders, _it also happened to be the island of the strongest commander._

She really didn’t want this so-called good luck. Shit, anyone else could come and take this luck away from her. How the hell was she supposed to escape now?! Even if the investigations come back inconclusive, Kirayu wasn’t so naïve as to believe they would simply let her go. The Big Mom Pirates had a reputation for a reason.

 _And this was the Second Prince of the Kingdom._ Shit. Did she even have a future?

Kirayu sighed, and then decided she could only play the situation by ear. This whole situation was frustrating. If only she hadn’t tried to test out that technique before it was ready….

And the other frustrating thing about this situation was, well, Katakuri was a _brick wall._

Currently, they were both in the main living room of the Manor. Katakuri was sitting in an armchair seemingly deep in thought, while Kirayu paced the room trying not to go stir-crazy.

No matter how much she poked or prodded, tried to glean information through casual conversations, Katakuri just did not take bait. His tone was even, his mood was even, hell, even his gait was even, unlike the little walk-run she had to do just to keep up with his large steps.

The last week had been spent trailing after Katakuri like a lost puppy whenever he needed to go outside, and staying inside the Manor and staring up at the ceilings when he didn’t. She'd had to wear a cloak with a hood whenever they went out though, to remain inconspicuous.

Apparently, Katakuri was something of a celebrity in Totto Land ( _with his own fan club, the 'strong and silent Second Prince' urgh)_ and the island inhabitants would be _very_ interested in his daily affairs. Therefore, it was better for everyone if she remained discreet, since she was both a non-citizen and a woman. Apparently, again, the Second Prince of Totto Land only concerned himself with members of the Charlotte family and his own division, and held no interest towards members of the fairer sex.

At first, she had been happy to find out that her restraints were being taken off and that she was allowed to walk freely.

But then she found out why.

Of course she wasn’t being restrained – who needed to be restrained when the handler that held your invisible leash was the strongest of the three Sweet Commanders, a man with a bounty of over 1 billion?! Even in terms of world rankings, Charlotte Katakuri was definitely a top-notch powerhouse.

Kirayu had never been so thankful that she had followed her intuition that day and not acted up during their first meeting, because if she had, then she probably would have exploded like that wall behind her.

She needed to gather information though – information about where she was, what the geography of the land around her was, what Katakuri's division and the chess soldiers' patrol schedules were, and most importantly, information about Katakuri’s own schedule. Hey, the man had to leave her and go to work at some point, right? That would be the best time for her to quietly slip away.

Kirayu swallowed, her thoughts slowly zoning in on one idea. She needed to get a rise out of Katakuri – any reaction would do. If he stayed infuriatingly calm like this, then she wouldn’t be able to gain any information. And she needed information to protect herself and to survive. If she were to rouse up anger, annoyance, or anything else from Katakuri, then he might say something useful in the heat of the moment....

Hey, he didn't like dealing with women, right?

“Hey, Katakuri-sama.”

Although Katakuri still didn’t move, Kirayu could sense that this time, he was finally watching her out of the corner of his eyes.

“You know, you’d totally be my type if we’d met under better circumstances. Tall, muscular, handsome, and not to mention your cheekbones.” She winked while gesturing at her own face.

Katakuri slowly lifted his head, and turned to pin her with a flat stare.

\--

**Day 11**

Three days later was Katakuri’s routine patrol of the neighbouring islands surrounding the Big Mom territory. Naturally, as someone under his watch, Kirayu had to go as well.

While Kirayu was very excited to be leaving Komugi Island for the first time in over a week, Katakuri’s patience was steadily approaching its limit.

Katakuri sighed internally. He had initially thought she'd be different, but it seemed she was just like any other female who only knew how to talk, and talk some more. Thinking back, he wasn't even sure why he had decided to keep the girl close. He certainly hadn't done anything like this in the past, with any other captive. Usually, they were either kept in the prisons, or assigned to house arrest under the watch of trusted guards.

He had just found her... intriguing... on that day when they first met, and had been curious as to what else she might show him. As his achievements and accomplishments grew over the years, challenges became far and few. He craved something that would disrupt the monotony of his routine days, anything that would create in him a spark of interest.

However, the last few days of observations did not reveal anything special. Worse still, she had turned... provocative. If in a few days the investigations come back clean, then he might settle her somewhere on Totto Land. He couldn’t simply let her leave; she’d already stayed at his residence for over a week, and which Marines wouldn’t just _love_ to have that kind of information about him?

Though at this rate, it almost seemed to be more trouble than worth. Perhaps he should just dispose of her, if she didn't prove herself interesting sometime soon….

“Wow – the outside world!” Kirayu exclaimed with mock enthusiasm. “How novel!”

She raised her arms and gave a small twirl, relishing in the salty breeze of the sea and the feel of the sun shining up above. Her cloak-and-hood getup had been ditched for this excursion, since everyone on the trip were Katakuri's men.

“Hn. Keep close.” Katakuri replied stoically while descending the docks to head towards town. “You should know better than to run.”

“Ha, yes, yes,” Kirayu saluted. “No need to worry, Katakuri-sama. With your handsome visage right here in front of me, why would I go anywhere else?”

Katakuri looked to the sky as if asking for patience, and then resumed his gait. He had long-since learned over the last three days that it was better to just ignore the girl when she got like this.

The rounds went by smoothly, and by nighttime, Katakuri’s division was ready to hit the nearest tavern to unwind. Finding a busy bar with a good crowd, the crew piled in and soon, several tables were occupied and a steady flow of alcoholic beverages began drifting in.

Kirayu stared curiously at Katakuri and thought about whether she should ask. Over the last few days, she had definitely noticed that Katakuri didn’t eat or drink in front of others. She didn’t want to pry – she wasn’t dumb, she could see the crisscross of scars going up his cheeks – but now that they were at the same table at the same tavern, there was no way he would just sit there, right?

In the end, her curiosity won out.

“Hey, Katakuri-sama, are you going to drink?”

Katakuri smirked under his scarf.

“You’re not fast enough to see me drink,” he replied evenly. He knew what her real question was.

Kirayu pouted. “I could be, don’t tempt me.”

“Then I’ll just drink when you aren’t looking.”

“I’ll stare at you all night then. Your handsome face is certainly a sight for sore eyes. Nothing else in this bar is worth looking at.”

“There’s a kid looking at you.”

“What, where? Why’s there a kid here?” Kirayu turned her head to see. When she realized, she quickly looked back only to see the beer in front of Katakuri missing some volume.

She scowled, having been played like an idiot. For the rest of the night, she made a note to keep an eye on Katakuri, but it seemed the man wasn’t a Commander for nothing, because she never saw him take a single sip and yet the beverages in front of him kept disappearing and empty glasses kept multiplying.

As the night grew long, the crowd became more and more rowdy. Kirayu was also starting to gain a pleasant flush to her cheeks. She was more of a whiskey person, and those tended to hit harder than beer did.

Katakuri looked like he was staring into the distance, lost in thought, but he was actually watching Kirayu out of the corner of his eyes. This girl, woman, was an enigma. Her pretty face with fine features was quite deceptive. Her cuts and scrapes had healed perfectly, her fair skin shone without blemishes. _Does she have an advanced healing factor?_

With her long, dark hair and gentle smile, she seemed the epitome of a proper lady. But at the same time, what kind of lady opens her mouth and says such shameless things? Did all women like to tease men like that now?

All in all, she looked like a fragile – and to be fair, she really hadn’t given any indication she wasn’t that – porcelain doll, and yet Katakuri was reluctant to admit that he might have been wrong. He had thought there was something special about her, had seen it through those defiant honey-gold eyes on the first day they’d met, but he had yet to see it again. Was the smashing of the buildings just a fluke? Perhaps it was whatever she was travelling on? Whatever it was, if it wasn’t her own strength, then it was all just disappointing.

In his periphery, Katakuri noticed the girl stand up. She was swaying a little, a sign that she had drunk a little too much. She was carrying her glass and seemed to be approaching a neighbouring table to talk with his crew when suddenly she stumbled, and the contents of her drink just narrowly missed splashing into the face of a rough-looking hoodlum. The man shot up and said something in anger, the entire tavern falling silent in preparation for the approaching conflict, and the girl’s next words were heard especially clearly in that silence.

“Fuck off, bitch.”

 _Wow, she’s mouthy._ Katakuri thought _. Another contradiction to her delicate, mannered appearance._

The next moment, a full out bar brawl erupted as the terrified owner and server girl dived for cover behind the counter. Liquids and glasses flew everywhere, and weapons were unsheathed. A loud yell sounded, and then it was mayhem.

Katakuri absentmindedly knocked away an incoming projectile with a wave of Mochi. He calmly sipped his beer. _Why was it that everything with this woman involved chaos?_

Well, although her feistiness and occasional sass were amusing at times, it certainly wasn’t worth him stepping in to defend her from all this. Perhaps only if she was truly in danger. He still had a smidgen of interest left after all; he hadn't yet come to a conclusion about her.

Then, what he saw next caused his eyes to widen slightly.

The delicate-looking pretty doll suddenly whirled around, deflecting a sword that should have been in her blind spot with nothing but a small knife. However, her hands and the knife were covered with a strange, blue, aura, and her arm was steady. Then, through a series of graceful movements, the girl danced nimbly like a cat around the men approaching her menacingly, and started trading blows in a manner that was obviously trained.

Katakuri could feel excitement start to bubble through his veins. This. This was what he had been waiting to see. This was what he wanted. What else would she show him?

The Big Mom crew had also joined in on the fight by this point, and the mess was getting bigger. Just as Katakuri was about to let loose a blast of Conqueror’s Haki to quiet things down, he noticed the girl disentangle from the brawl, run through some strange hand gestures, and then light a fireball in her hand which was progressively growing bigger by the moment.

A second later, a large boom shook the vicinity and a pillar of light blasted a hole through the roof of the tavern. When the smoke died down, it was clear that everyone caught in the blast had been rendered unconscious, with only a swaying hellcat standing triumphantly in the epicentre.

“Hellcat, come here.” Katakuri drawled out in a low baritone, after a moment of silence.

“What?” It took Kirayu a moment to react. “You’re talking to me?”

“Yes, you.” Katakuri nodded, and then gestured with his hand, repeating, “Come here.”

“Why Hellcat?” Kirayu didn’t give it much thought and happily trotted over to where Katakuri was sitting. In her tipsy state, it was infinitely funny to her how Katakuri’s corner of the bar was the only area that wasn’t absolutely decimated. He looked like a king sitting on his throne, with hundreds of fallen enemies lying at his feet.

“You’re small, and limber, and sassy. And a pyromaniac.”

“I’m not small, I’m a respectable 172cm! You’re just ridiculously massive! And what do you mean pyromaniac.”

“You like setting things aflame a lot, don't you.”

“Um, no?”

“Look around you, Hellcat. Who made that fire? Certainly not me. Also, those buildings you demolished on my Island, there were flames licking at the carnage.” Katakuri chuckled lightly as he bantered back and forth with the girl, his mood rising. However, it was clear that Kirayu was too out-of-it to notice these little details.

“That, that’s because – Mr. Minister of Flour – those buildings had way too much flour in them! Don’t you know that flour combusts easily? I didn’t even have to do much. Who even builds infrastructure from baked goods anyways....”

“See, sassy.”

Kirayu tried to give a witty comeback, but found that she had nothing.

As she made her way towards him though, she suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, her head spinning from the alcoholic buzz. The rush of adrenaline from the impromptu fight was also waning, and she was starting to feel the after-effects of drinking as much as she'd had. All she wanted to do was to lie down on the floor and close her eyes.

She stumbled forwards.

Vaguely, Kirayu felt the sensation of something stopping her fall, but was that just her imagination? There was no one here who cared about her. She was on her own. Had been, ever since she lost her whole family all those years ago.

Katakuri’s face was unreadable behind his scarf, but his crimson eyes gleamed as he looked down at the girl he'd just caught with his Mochi. _Well, isn’t this something._

His Mochi carried her over to where he sat, and Katakuri reached out to hoist her into his arms. Then, he stood up and made his way to where the terrified owner was just starting to peer out from behind the counter. It was time to settle tabs, see about getting some rooms upstairs in the other wing where the roof was still intact, and perhaps rent out the main floor so that the men could sleep it out where they laid, collapsed.

Katakuri didn't even notice that he didn't seem to mind cleaning up after the troublesome hellcat. He was in a good mood.

\--

**Day 12**

When Kirayu slowly woke up the next morning, her head throbbed and she was in an unfamiliar room.

Taking a moment, she blinked and then all the memories from the night before came rushing in.

… _Shit! I revealed my abilities!_

That was something she had been hiding on purpose as a trump card, but now it looked like those plans were for naught.

She knew why she had acted like that last night. The last week was, honestly speaking, one of the most stressful weeks of her life. Being under constant watch of a man who could easily kill you was by no means easy, and while she had figured out by now that Charlotte Katakuri seemed to have endless patience and wouldn’t harm her on a whim, the situation was still inherently stressful.

She had drunk a bit more than she’d been planning to, and that was most likely because the lull of peace that alcohol granted the mind had lowered her inhibitions.

Then… well, she’d always been a bit of a feisty drunk. It didn’t help that she had some pent-up frustrations over this whole situation as well, and was craving for an outlet.

She knew that Katakuri was smart – he would definitely notice that those were not Devil Fruit abilities, and now that he knew she was trained, he would be prepared.

Kirayu sighed. _Oh well, what’s done is done. I suppose it was a bit fun to let go last night._

She would deal with the consequences as they came.

Kirayu slowly rotated and stretched her arms. Her limbs felt loose in a nice way, like she had just gotten in a good workout. She hadn’t been able to do much physically in the last week, constantly by Katakuri’s side and under surveillance. 

“That was quite the bill you racked up for me. All the damages and losses incurred.” A low voice sounded from the direction of the door.

Kirayu froze – she hadn’t expected the consequences to come this quickly.

Looking up, she realized that Katakuri was standing there by the doorframe quietly watching her, his arms crossed.

 _When had he gotten here?! The door was still closed just a moment ago?!_

Well, it made sense since she was technically under his watch. Better deal with this first.

Kirayu looked down demurely. “I’m sorry, Katakuri-sama.”

Katakuri gave her a long, hard stare, pinning her in place. She could feel the heavy weight of his attention boring down. The fact that half his face was covered made it especially difficult to read his thoughts. “Well, I suppose you’ll just owe me a debt then, which you can pay back later.”

Kirayu looked up and nodded eagerly, “Yes, I will definitely pay you back! I’m sorry!”

Katakuri gave her another unreadable stare, and then nodded. Turning to leave, he called out, “Get ready to go. We’re heading back.”

Little did Kirayu know, she would come to deeply regret the day she incurred this debt, and her future self would raged at how stupid she was to have not set the debt explicitly as monetary terms.

\--

**Day 14**

“If you think I am letting you out after what happened a couple days ago,” Katakuri’s maddeningly calm voice replied as he sifted through some documents, “then you’ll need to think again.”

Kirayu frowned, but she was still feeling a bit guilty over the bar incident and so she didn’t push it. After resisting for days, she had finally barged in to Katakuri’s office. Ever since the trip a few days back, she had been anxious that Katakuri would do something with his newfound knowledge of her abilities and hence had been trying to avoid the other. However, the wait was slowly driving her mad, as well as the boredom of having nothing to do, and so she decided that she'd better just face the Commander head on. Kirayu didn't fare well with lack of excitement.

“Could we do something then? I’m going to go mad if I have to pace the room one more time.”

Katakuri stopped what he was doing and looked up, slowing putting down the documents he held. “I suppose there is something we can do, but you’ll need to answer some questions first.”

Kirayu looked away. She had known that this was coming. In all honesty, she was surprised Katakuri kept silent for so long.

“Who are you? There is no information about you – it’s like you don’t exist. From the direction of impact, it appears you arrived from the Southwest, but we couldn’t find anything. And those skills you used….”

Kirayu looked away. In a small voice, she replied, “I really cannot say. But I promise I mean no harm to your territory.”

“Kirayu.”

Kirayu looked up in surprise. This was the first time Katakuri had ever called her name.

“Would you like to join the Big Mom Pirates? We could use someone like you.” Katakuri looked right into her eyes. For anyone else, this might have been terrifying, but somehow, Kirayu felt as if she had gotten used to meeting this Commander’s crimson eyes, and having the weight of his full attention on her.

“Can you just let me go?”

“No, I can’t.” Katakuri replied evenly. The half of his face not hidden by the scarf gave nothing away.

Kirayu wasn’t dumb. She knew that there was only a miniscule chance that she’d be allowed to just leave, and yet she couldn’t help but ask. It was difficult to simply accept giving up her old life and beginning a new one here. “Can I think about it?”

Katakuri gave her another long look, before nodding slowly. “That’s fine.”

It was fine indeed. Katakuri was determined to bring her over to his side, especially after seeing the power she’d wielded without even having a Devil Fruit. He could play the long game. He could wait.

Kirayu looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end, she held her tongue. There really wasn’t any point in getting too deep right now.

Katakuri organized the files on his desk, and then stood up. “How about we spar then?”

“… I’m sorry?”

“Let’s spar together.”

“Are you trying to kill me?” Kirayu eyed him suspiciously, stepping back a little. “You're very obviously stronger than I am. I have enough self-awareness to know that.”

Katakuri looked back at her, a small smirk playing at his lips. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so long ago. This is merely to exercise, Hellcat. Since I now know that you can fight.”

“Oh,” Kirayu replied, scrunching her brows and thinking hard.

Then, she suddenly let out a playful smirk and clapped her hands together. Katakuri felt a chill run down his spine.

“Okay then! I’d love this chance to get to know each other better with our bodies.”

Katakuri: “…”

\--

As they left the mansion, Kirayu noticed that some of the guards seemed to shift away from her, shrinking back as she strode by.

She frowned.

“Why are they scared of me?” She looked inquisitively at Katakuri.

Katakuri didn't pause in his long strides, but he did cast his attention down at her. “You toasted them crispy.”

“… Did you just make a joke?”

“Of course not. Perish the thought.”

“… What actually happened?” Kirayu stopped walking and looked up at Katakuri, her mouth set in a stubborn line that indicated she wouldn’t move until he provided a proper answer.

Katakuri also stopped and looked at her. After a moment, he said evenly, “Some of them were at the bar with us.”

“Oh...” Kirayu instantly felt a little guilty again. She didn’t mind fighting in the spur of the moment - liked it, even - but afterwards if she found out she’d accidentally hurt allies, that always made her feel a bit guilty.

“It’s alright, Hellcat. They’re fine.” He let out a little, unseen smirk. "If anything, they now have a healthy dose of respect for you."

Having said that, Katakuri leaned down and gave Kirayu a light push, indicating that they should keep going.

“… Did you just try to comfort me?” Kirayu looked strangely at Katakuri.

This time, Katakuri didn't stop as he walked on, replying over his broad shoulders, “Of course.”

Kirayu didn’t quite know what to make of that.

\--

“Hahaha, you’re not a rice ball, you’re just a meatball! All muscle and no brain!” Kirayu laughed when she saw Katakuri rush at where she had seemed to be, only to realize she wasn’t actually there.

They were at Katakuri’s private training grounds near the outskirts of Hakuriki Town.

Kirayu was currently having the time of her life, utilizing everything in her arsenal to give Katakuri a spar that he would hopefully remember. She knew he was going very easy on her – indeed, he was just using his fists and kicks at the moment, not even his Mochi attacks – but it was still fun to see him fall for some of her ploys. After all, even if one knows the future, if they can’t comprehend it, then how would they react?

Over the last two weeks, Kirayu had learned a little more about this man, the second in command of the Big Mom Pirates. There was a lot of gossip about him floating around, and she had been able to glean some general information just by living here. She knew that he was insanely powerful and skilled, and that his Observation Haki was unparalleled. She had also seen the casual usage of his Mochi from time to time. However, she knew that she hadn't even scratched the tip of the iceberg, of what Charlotte Katakuri was capable of.

With all that in mind, Kirayu knew that her tricks would only work once. As soon as Katakuri sees them once, he would catalogue it and be prepared to respond in the future. Kirayu grimaced, once again cursing her luck at why she was saddled with such a war god – the intelligent gleam in those eyes speaking for all the military concepts and fighting strategies the other had long since memorized and incorporated into his own style.

As Katakuri looked over, unimpressed, she stuck out her tongue. “What, you want to bend me over and spank me? Too bad.”

Katakuri mentally counted to 10, squashing down the brief fleeting image his mind had conjured up of him actually pulling her over his lap and spanking her for all the troubles she had given him so far.

“You should take this more seriously.”

Kirayu could feel the air settle, and she became more subdued. The atmosphere was now heavier than it was before, and she could sense that Katakuri had focused his attention entirely on her. It wasn’t at the level of what it was during the interrogation where it was hard to breathe, but it was definitely weighing down heavily.

Kirayu swallowed and clenched her fists. _Alright, looks like time to get serious._

\--

Looking over at the state of the training arena, Kirayu felt a little sheepish. There were pits and craters in the ground, holes in the walls, and some spider-web cracks and fractures reached up to the ceiling.

Katakuri was also taking in the state of the facility, and mentally re-evaluating what he knew about the girl. It seemed she was better than he had expected, but there were still places that were rough and spoke of obvious lack of experience. Her attacks were mostly physical punches and kicks, but the sheer power behind them was a bit surprising for a girl of her size. Sure, he could kick a crater into the ground, but he hadn’t expected that someone of her stature could also kick a crater into the ground. And it looked like she had done it very easily too, meaning she probably could have caused more damage if she had wanted.

The short knife he’d seen last time hadn’t made an appearance – probably still hidden somewhere on her body – but then again, he hadn’t brought out his trident either, so there hadn’t been a need for the weapon to come out.

The mysterious blue aura seemed to center around her fists and feet, similar to when he would coat his own hands with Mochi to increase their power.

It had also surprised him when she had stuck to the wall after he’d flung her that way, instead of just kicking off it to rebound. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but smirk lightly behind his scarf. _It seems she really is a nimble little hellcat. Cats like to perch in strange places too._

Anyways, at this point, she was similar to an uncut jewel. She had the potential. She just hadn’t had the right teacher.

Wouldn’t it be great if he could personally polish that jewel? He could create a masterpiece of his own, maybe even train his own vice-commander.

Katakuri shook his head slightly, thinking what a shame it was that she had been left unrefined like this. But then, he changed his mind. This was all to his advantage; it was him who had her now. The strange power she had, it seemed to have unlimited potential, and Katakuri wondered what else could be achieve with it.

For the first time in a long time, Katakuri felt the stirrings of interest and excitement rouse within him, and he _wanted_.

Although the girl hadn’t yet accepted the invitation to become a member of the Big Mom Pirates, it didn’t seem like she had anywhere else to go either. Unlike other captives, or, _guests_ , she wasn’t clamouring everyday about leaving and instead seemed to be enjoying exploring Totto Land. That in itself spoke volumes of how she probably didn’t have any strong attachments tying her elsewhere. All he had to do now was to convince her that this place right here was where she wanted to stay.

Turning his attention to the girl beside him, Katakuri paused to take her in.

Her pale cheeks were flushed a pretty pink with exertion. She was panting from the workout, but she seemed to be in great spirits as she did some stretches. Her hair, tied up in a casual high-ponytail, fluttered gently with the breeze that came in through the destroyed walls, and bobbed with every move she made.

She still looked like a pretty doll, but he would no longer assume that she was fragile or delicate.

“Mm? Katakuri-sama, why are you looking at me? Do you like what you see?” As if sensing his attention, Kirayu looked up and grinned impishly before striking a cute pose. “Though, I’m all sweaty right now, so that’s probably not it.”

Katakuri ignored her provocations and instead went straight to the point. “How about I train you?”

\--

She accepts his offer in the end.

\--

**Day 18**

A few days later, Kirayu found herself and Katakuri in a different training area. This was one of the official public training grounds meant for the citizens of Komugi Island, though of course the facility had been closed for the day. Katakuri’s private arena was still under repairs.

Kirayu did a few quick hops and then stretched her arms over her head, revealing a sliver of pale skin as her shirt rode up.

Katakuri frowned under his scarf. _Was she doing this on purpose?_

“So, what are we doing today?” Kirayu asked, peering over curiously at the red-haired man as she did some pre-workout warm-ups.

Kirayu wasn't entirely sure as to what Katakuri was playing at, and had genuinely been surprised when the other man had offered to train her. At first she had been a little suspicious - was Katakuri trying to assess her weaknesses? But then she decided that she was over-thinking things. The man was obviously on an entirely different level from her. He didn't need to know her weaknesses. Did a trained master need to understand the weakness of a civilian in order to defeat them? No. Because they were already so skilled that such negligible knowledge would make no difference.

This all tied back to why she was allowed to roam freely without wearing any restraints, Kirayu supposed. In addition, Katakuri hadn't made any mention of searching her for weaponry, and she _knew_ that he had seen her wield the knife that night at the bar. He likely hadn't seen any need to, fully confident in his own abilities to defend himself, or to stop her before she caused any lasting damage to their surroundings.

And so, she had pushed away her jumbled thoughts and hesitantly accepted the offer. It wasn't like she had anything to lose, and who knows, she might be able to get to know Katakuri a bit better this way. And if he eventually lets his guard down, comfortable enough in their tutelage relationship, then all the better for her to slip away unnoticed. Whatever his motives were for training her, it didn't seem like it would be harmful to her, at any rate.

“We’ll spar a little first, and then I’m going to point out things I notice and I’ll probably teach you some things as well.”

Kirayu looked up in interest. “So you’ll be teaching me? Should I call you Sensei?”

Katakuri frowned again. _Was this a big deal?_ “If you want? I really don’t care.”

Kirayu grinned unabashedly.

“Alright then. You won’t be too rough on me, right Sensei?” She called out with a slow, sensual drawl. Then, she added in a wink. “I’ll be a good girl for you, Sensei.”

Katakuri had a bad feeling about this.

\--

**Day 21**

Kirayu laughed and raised one hand, blasting another hole through the roof. As chunks of the ceiling began to fall, Katakuri was forced to dodge as he tried to make his way closer to her.

The training grounds were already starting to get messy, and they had only been fighting for around 20 minutes or so.

A ray of golden sunlight shone in through the hole she had just made, and Kirayu eyed Katakuri’s muscular body appreciatively.

Her golden eyes shining with mirth, she called out, “Sensei, your amazing muscles seem even more majestic under the afternoon sun, glistening with sweat. I'm so tempted to touch them!”

Katakuri’s brows furrowed and he frowned at her, not that she could see over the scarf. “Do you need a man that badly? I’m sure you can find someone willing, down at the pub.”

Kirayu just laughed at the suggestion and waved it off.

\--

The next few weeks progressed in a similar manner.

_\--_

**Day 26**

 _“Hey, Sensei, if you catch me, I’ll give you a prize.”_

_“I don't want to catch you anymore.”_

\--

**Day 34**

_“Sensei, I got a scrape here. Can you kiss it better?”_

_Katakuri: “…”_

\--

**Day 48**

_“Sensei, you’ve got such good stamina! That’s wonderful!”_

\--

**Day 53**

The more they interacted, the more Katakuri found himself watching her. Guarding someone usually didn’t necessitate this much of his time and focus, but he had found himself doing it anyway. Observing her daily actions and behaviours eventually turned into observing her likes and dislikes, her moods, and how she interacted with others.

Soon, he found that he wasn't watching her out of surveillance (if he were honest with himself, it stopped being about surveillance as soon as he'd started sparring with her), or even out of curiosity at what interesting things she might show him next. Instead, he was starting to watch her because _he genuinely wanted to._

He noticed her unwavering resolve to get stronger during each of their training sessions _(Why? What was the drive?)._ Her determination and her willingness to work hard impressed him, and he could tell that she was definitely improving day by day.

He had briefly considered cutting back on what he was teaching her since she still hadn’t pledge loyalty to the Big Mom Pirates, but eventually he decided against it. It would be a shame to leave her unpolished like this. If she were to rebel one day, then it would only be natural for him to take her down as his responsibility, since he was the one to create this little monster.

And a little monster she was, this hellcat. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge, and her movements grew more graceful with every passing day. He hadn’t been too surprised to find out that she did have something of an advanced healing factor, and when her hands glowed green, it seemed she could help others recover as well.

She was getting better at controlling her fire, and recently she had shown off a technique with wind as well. While he still wasn’t certain what the source of her powers were, he was sure he’d find out one day. What was important now was to try to bind her to him, to make it so that she didn’t want to leave.

And curiously, as the magnitude of her strength and destructive abilities grew, she still remained physically as small and lithe as ever. What a deceptive little hellcat he had found.

She also seemed to be adjusting to life on Komugi Island a lot better than he had expected. Just the other day, she had insisted on visiting the commercial strip that she had destroyed, and had spent a couple hours chatting amicably with the local residents.

Katakuri watched as she accepted a flower the local children offered, and felt a stream of warmth flow through his heart.

When she smiled at him (genuinely, not one of those provocative, flirty smirks), when she would inquire about his day and listen attentively, or when she wishes him ‘goodnight’ and ‘sleep well’ as if caring about his wellbeing was the most normal thing to do, Katakuri didn’t know how he felt. He was so used to being the Big Brother of the crew, the number one most dependable figure, and the Commander that was second in strength only to Mama.

People took what they needed from him, but rarely did they realize that once in a while, he might also want a gentle word, a reminder that he mattered too. With Kirayu, there weren’t any of those expectations. He was just him. Not even Charlotte Katakuri - just Katakuri.

Seeing her interact so easily with his men as they prepared to leave for another outing, Katakuri felt something in his chest twinge. He slowly placed a hand over his thumping heart.

When had he stopped assessing her as a potential crewmate, and started thinking of her with growing fondness?

Then, the girl he was watching intently seemed to notice his stare because she turned around, grinned at him, and sent him an exaggerated wink.

Katakuri’s face instantly turned dark.

Now if only she would stop probing the limits of his patience and restraint….

\--

 **Day 115 -** **Two months later:**

“Hey, Sensei,” Kirayu began, walking into the living room one evening while drying her damp hair with a towel, “Do you…."

She stopped when she noticed that despite the fact that Katakuri hadn’t looked at her, a very obvious vein was starting to bulge on his temple and his fist had clenched tight.

This last month, Kirayu had tried her absolute personal best to get a decent reaction out of Katakuri. All kinds of flirty provocations and suggestive innuendos were brought out to play. And of course, she used the address “Sensei” very liberally, pre-facing most of her incitements with it. It almost wasn’t even surprising now when she saw Katakuri twitch from being address this way.

She could tell that Katakuri was no longer as immune to her words as he was back when they had first met. Strangely, this realization didn’t bring about a sense of satisfaction or achievement, but rather, she felt a little warm and happy that she was able to affect this powerful man before her.

“O—kay, well then, goodnight Katakuri-sama. Please rest well.” Kirayu made the very wise decision to back off. It seemed she might have gone a little over-board today, especially during their training session earlier that afternoon.

She had to admit - back when she first started teasing Katakuri with provocative statements, she had been a little scared. What if her impudence got herself killed? What if Katakuri actually had a really bad temper? But the more she did it and the more the man seemed to shrug everything off, the more... fun.... it became. Nowadays, in addition to trying to get a rise out of Katakuri, she also wanted to see the man react physically to her in some way. She _was_ attractive, right?

Little did Kirayu know, she was having just a little too much fun. One day, her roller-coaster would go off its rails, and then even a lifetime of regrets would not be enough to make up for it.

Katakuri watched as she left the way she came, retreating back to her bedroom. It was strange now how – although none of them had explicitly said it – the bedroom she slept in was _hers,_ and this once-empty house now felt like a _home._ Like she was meant to be here.

When Katakuri stepped into the shower that night, he knew instantly that it would be a longer one. There was a heat lingering in his pelvis from their training session earlier in the day, and it only grew stronger when she had walked in just now.

Just thinking about the scene caused his forehead veins to bulge out again, and his face turned dark.

Her scent right after a shower, the damp locks, her small frame completely dwarfed in one of his shirts – and yes, he knew she chose that shirt on purpose – replayed itself over and over in his mind.

Although he didn’t usually wear shirts, he kept some for formal occasions. On her, his white, button-down shirt with the top button undone teased at the curves of her breasts, falling down to the floor like a dress on her petite frame, cleverly cinched at the waist, the white fabric faintly see-through.

It was all on purpose, he knew. It was a game to her, and yet, he couldn’t help but be affected.

Under the spray of lukewarm water, Katakuri could feel himself hardening with every image his mind replayed.

He reached down and gave a himself a slow stroke. When was the last time he had been aroused to this extent? Sure, he did this regularly to release pent-up energy, but when was the last time he had reacted so strongly to someone in particular?

As his hand approached the darkening tip, he didn’t even have to look to know that the colour was probably a shade darker than usual. He could feel his member hot and throbbing in his hands, pulsating with need, need for a certain little infuriating hellcat.

He gave a few more strokes, quickening the pace and adding a twist with his wrist, throwing his head back in pleasure. He wanted to get this over with, so he didn’t hold himself back.

_Her pretty lips curving into a small smirk, eyes alight with mischief as she’d stare provocatively at him._

_She’d be in his arms, maybe straddling his waist, a dainty hand absentmindedly tracing circles, while her firm derriere added pleasurable pressure the lower and lower she shifted._

_“Sensei,” she’d whisper with a teasing lilt, her pretty doll-like face staring innocently up at him._

Creamy white essence shot out of his hard member and Katakuri panted harshly, leaning against the tiled wall. The white fluid on a ground a stark reminder of his weakness, his lack of self-discipline.

As he washed up and walked out, Katakuri couldn’t manage to reign in his frustrations, and he punched out with his right arm. As the bathroom door closed behind him, a large gaping hole was left in the exterior wall, the clear full moon visible through the destruction.

He knew that at this point, she wasn’t serious in her teasings. Sure, she liked him well enough as a person, perhaps even a friend, and she definitely thought his body was attractive, but she wasn’t serious about him. He could tell through his Observation Haki. But _damn_ did he wish his foresight was wrong just this once.

* * *

**Author’s Comment:**

Katakuri: “Hgnnh… Hellcat, ah… you maddening… little Hellcat… hnggnh….”

Kirayu: * sneezes *

**

Property damages incurred:  
\- a row of destroyed buildings  
\- a poor wall  
\- everything inside the drinking tavern, plus the roof  
\- countless training grounds  
\- that poor bathroom wall  
\- does Katakuri’s sanity count? Because that’s most definitely being destroyed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kirayu starts calling Katakuri “-sama” out of a teasing, 'yes, your royal prince highness' kind of vibe. Notice how in her inner ramblings, she always just refers to him as “Katakuri.” And then she got used to it and it felt weird to stop or change.
> 
> And…. Katakuri goes down first! Starts falling in love within 3.8(ish) months of living together.
> 
> \--
> 
> Your enthusiasm drives me! Please leave a Kudos or a Comment~


	2. Origin (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of how they met (and ended up together).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to write smut, and instead this is now a full story with plot.

**Day 148**

As the days passed, Kirayu could feel that something was brewing in the undercurrents. Things were spiralling out of her control just beyond what she could see, and yet there was nothing she could do to stop it. What was even more concerning was that she didn’t even know how or where to begin fixing this.

The last month, Katakuri had been especially strange. Ever since the day she’d walked into the living room half-dressed in his shirt (yes, she was particularly proud of that one), he seemed to have arrived at a decision and regrouped his thoughts.

Even her teasing and flirty remarks didn’t elicit the same reactions anymore, not quite.

Before, Katakuri would either completely ignore her, or he would show some discomfort or reaction. Now, though, he didn’t ignore her anymore. Nor did he react with discomfort. Instead, he would just stare at her, his gaze penetrating deep. It was becoming hard for her to meet his gaze head-on. Even calling him “Sensei” in an especially husky tone did not induce a twitch anymore. If nothing else, his stares actually seemed to become more... heated? It was probably just her imagination.

Now, looking up at Katakuri standing majestic and unruffled while an absolutely decimated training field laid before him, Kirayu bit her lip to cut off the reflexive teasing remark she was about to say. Just the thought of his deadpan, penetrating stare trained intensely on her after she’d say something provocative was enough to send a twinge to her stomach.

Whether it was a good twinge or a bad twinge though… that she didn’t know.

Kirayu would be lying if she said she didn’t have any feelings of goodwill towards Katakuri. During the 5 months that she’d been living here, he had been an entirely gracious and hospitable host. He had never raised his voice at her or hurt her in any way, despite her being an outsider and a potential threat.

Whatever she mentioned she wanted was usually sent to her within a day, even non-sensical trivial things _(she had mentioned off-hand that she wanted a scented candle the other day, and Katakuri had brought her one that very evening. Like, what?)._ This was especially true of the last month or so, where Katakuri had been especially attentive.

And, Katakuri honestly spent a lot of time with her despite being a busy Commander. It could be that he was just doing his duty and monitoring an active threat, but it really didn’t feel that way.

Katakuri brought her with him everywhere he could, whether it was patrolling the waters or dealing with affairs around town. If he really had to leave to take care of official matters, then he would assigned a group of soldiers to openly guard her. Otherwise, whenever possible, he would work from his home office and accompany her during mealtime (though he never ate). Sure, Kirayu had free rein around the property at those times when he was working, but there were always servants or guards milling about. 

At first, Kirayu had been a little desperate with the arrangement. Looking for a way to leave was never far from her mind, but the longer she stayed, the more comfortable things became. She was starting to settle into a routine. If someone had asked her if she wanted to leave 4 months ago, she would have said yes without hesitation, but now she just didn't know what to feel anymore. Honestly, everything felt a lot less like surveillance, and more like concern? For her wellbeing?

This feeling only intensified after he had started training her. What kind of jailer teaches his captive and makes them stronger? Kirayu wouldn’t lie – she could feel that her powers had grown exponentially since the man had started instructing her, and even concepts she struggled with previously in self-study came easier to her now.

If she was going to be truthful, then she really did appreciate what Katakuri was doing for her.

Just as she was caught in her thoughts, a ray of sun suddenly shone through the clearing they stood in. They had chosen to forego an actual training arena this time, in favour of a simple field outdoors. They had just finished their daily spar, and Kirayu was perched on-top of a large rock so that she could look at the taller man more levelly . 

It had been a rather cloudy day, and so the ray of sun took Kirayu by surprise. As it shone on Katakuri, it lit up what was visible of his face, and his muscled body gave off a healthy glow, showing off just what a perfect specimen of the male race he was. His flawless, orderly appearance was a stark contrast to the destruction surrounding him.

Kirayu couldn’t help but remark out of genuine appreciation, “Wow, Katakuri-sama, you shine so splendidly under the sun.”

Katakuri looked back at her. Couldn’t she see herself? The sun’s rays had also fallen on her, and she was glowing where she stood, just like the ray of light that had pierced his dark and monotonous world. His life had become so much more interesting after she’d shown up, and he really hoped that she would stay.

Katakuri’s lips slowly curved into a smile under his scarf, and he replied nonchalantly, “Mm, do you want to touch?"

Kirayu was so caught up on the fact that his eyes seemed to have softened a little when he looked at her just now, that it took a moment for her brain to fully process what she had heard.

_Um, excuse me, but just what the fuck…?_

Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Katakuri suddenly felt a wave of amusement rush through him. If this was how he reacted each time she teased him, then no wonder she kept doing it. Seeing this bewildered expression was actually really satisfying.

Thinking of that, Katakuri decided to approach. He crouched down and leaned forward to speak right into her ear, “In fact, you can touch whenever you want. That’s what you said you wanted to do last time, right?”

Then, he turned around and left, intending to give her some space. A small smirk played out on his lips, hidden underneath the scarf.

Kirayu stared at his retreating back, her thoughts jumbled, her face red, her ear sensitive from where a hot puff of air had been just seconds ago.

\--

**Day 155**

Kirayu’s thoughts were growing increasingly conflicted. It had been a week since that _incident_ at the training grounds, and while Katakuri hadn’t done anything else, something had clearly changed in their relationship.

It almost seemed as if he was more open. Although his calm visage still revealed nothing, Kirayu felt that she had gotten better at reading the man over the last few months. In fact, she was quite confident that not many others would be able to rival her in how well they could read Charlotte Katakuri.

While he may still appear stoic, he was definitely more relaxed, and she was certain she wasn’t imagining the softening of his eyes whenever he looked at her.

He definitely felt goodwill towards her. Maybe even liked her.

And what about her? Did she like him? Well, there was that old adage that wisely concluded, ‘ _If something is said a thousand times, then it becomes true.’_

… With all the provocations she had hurled at the man over the last near-half year, she would have had to be made of stone if her heart didn’t hold some fondness of the other.

And now that she was actively thinking about all this, analyzing their interactions and the potential underlying thoughts and motivations, she realized that Katakuri may have already come to his own conclusions.

Days previous, she had speculated that the red-haired Commander had reached a decision a month ago, and that was what had regrouped his thoughts enough to allow him to calmly react to everything she was throwing at him. Well, she was pretty sure she had a good idea as to what the decision was now, that the other man had come to. It was evident in the little things.

Thinking back, he had always been a steadfast presence.

He always took her training seriously, critiquing her shortcomings (but never mean about it) and trying his best to help her improve. He provided for her what he could, and he listened intently to her requests, even the trivial ones. Katakuri wasn't the type to speak much, but his actions spoke louder than words.

He was showing her in his own way that he cared.

Kirayu's heart grew warm recounting all the things he'd done for her, and when she reached that conclusion, her heart gave a little flutter.

But, there was a major issue.

Although she hadn’t asked to leave ever since they’d returned from that first trip, she knew that the answer would be the same as the one she received months ago. She wouldn’t be allowed to leave.

Sure, if she wanted to leave Komugi Island, Kirayu was certain that she’d be allowed to, but Totto Land? Probably not. 

Katakuri wouldn't be mean about it - he would probably say something like how she knew too much about the inner workings of the Big Mom Pirates and that the Marines would spare no means to hunt her down and that she would be in danger, before trying to convince her to join the crew again.

It would probably stem from concern - she wouldn't cheapen his sincerity by accusing him otherwise - but it would all boil down to the same thing. Essentially, she couldn't leave, and that meant that she was still a captive of sorts. An unchained prisoner with free rein over the islands, but a caged bird nonetheless. One that wasn’t truly free.

No matter how much she may enjoy Katakuri’s presence, as long as this inequality existed, she would probably always feel bothered.

Looking up from her breakfast, Kirayu levelled her gaze at the man seated across from her. As if sensing her scrutiny, Katakuri calmly finished buttering the bread in his hand, passed it over to Kirayu, and then returned her stare.

Katakuri could tell that something was bothering his little hellcat. Maybe it was because he had decided to be more transparent in his actions and that was making her uncomfortable, but it was alright. She would get used to him.

Since he had accepted his feelings, then naturally the next thing to do is to cement his presence in her life.

Meeting her stare, Katakuri said nothing, and a few moments passed like that before Kirayu finally looked away.

 _Damn, what a mess,_ Kirayu thought. She picked up the bread that Katakuri had just passed to her and took a bite, ignoring the thumping of her heart.

\--

**Day 189**

The weird, ambivalent mood stayed for another month, and then everything changed when an enemy pirate crew attacked.

“They’re trying to stage a rescue.” Katakuri had answered when she had asked about the blaring alarms.

It wasn’t like there hadn’t been any skirmishes in the 6 months that Kirayu had been living here. But those were usually dealt with quickly, and Katakuri would just leave her behind with some guards.

A few times, Kirayu had briefly considered offering her help since it wasn’t like she couldn’t fight, but Katakuri never asked, and so she never offered. She reasoned that it wasn’t like they really needed her help anyways.

And that was true; they had never needed her help.

But this time – this time was a little different.

The pirate crew that had attacked this time was smarter than the previous bunch; that, or perhaps they were just luckier. One of the initial cannonballs they lobbed over had actually managed to hit the initial alarm system, and so the Big Mom Pirates were slower to mobilize than usual. By the time the main forces realized they were under attack, the enemy with their substantial team of allies were already nearing the shores of the outer islands.

Even under normal circumstances, the sheer number of enemies this time was more than a lot.

Katakuri only had time to hear the quick reports before he was hurrying to the front lines. There hadn’t been any time to summon Kirayu’s usual guards, and so when Kirayu offered, Katakuri reluctantly brought her along.

And now… well, now they were separated.

Katakuri likely hadn’t noticed her absence yet since he wasn’t used to fighting with her nearby during enemy invasions. He was likely entirely focused on completing his duties as one of the three Sweet Commanders, but Kirayu knew that he would realize as soon as the fighting stopped.

She didn’t know why she could say that which such strong conviction, but she knew. Maybe it was the way that he’d been looking at her the last couple months. Maybe it was their daily interactions where he never let her out of his sight. Maybe it was how he always tried to take care of her needs and wants. But whatever it was, Kirayu knew that Katakuri cared. She had come to that conclusion a while back, but every time she thought of it again, it would hit her all the same with the same surprising 'oomph' _._ And hence she knew that as soon as he had a breather, he would realize that she was no longer by his side.

In all honesty, she hadn’t meant to leave. She had been fighting near Katakuri, but it was still rather difficult to keep up with his large strides, especially when there were enemies around. Then, there was a particularly distracting explosion and a large gaggle of chess soldiers and enemy pirates had moved in, and now here she was.

Even with his height, Kirayu couldn’t spot Katakuri anywhere in the crowds. Oh, if she wanted to, she could probably pinpoint his aura and head over to where he was, but….

But now that she was here – in a crowd of strangers, all who had no idea who she was – Kirayu couldn’t help but entertain some thoughts which had long ago sprouted.

_Could she leave?_

Katakuri wasn't here. Her usual guards weren't here. And not many people in Totto Land knew of her existence, since Katakuri had always been careful about keeping her hidden every time they went out. Only Katakuri's division knew of her existence, and they were careful and close-lipped whenever it came to the affairs of their much venerated commander.

Kirayu pulled the hood of her cloak down lower.

Yes.

She could leave.

She could turn around, leave the battlegrounds, and hide somewhere. Over the last few months, she had never hidden her aura from Katakuri before so he likely didn’t even know that she was aware of it, but she could easily conceal her presence.

It was - after all - a specialty of her late family. Her family had specialized in auras and in the use of it, or, as it was formally called, the _innate energy present in all living things._

And so Kirayu did. With this, even once Katakuri realizes her absence, he wouldn’t be able to find her right away.

She could try to leave right now, or she could hide somewhere and stay under the radar until it was possible for her to slip onto a departing merchant’s ship. It could be done – Kirayu knew – because she had done it before.

And once she leaves, as long as she lays low, then even if Katakuri came searching for her she could evade him. They couldn’t find out information about her past. Hence, as long as she changed up her appearance and acted carefully, they would never be able to find her once she leaves. _Katakuri would never be able to find her again._

At this, Kirayu paused her casual contemplations because the last thought unwittingly left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Sitting perched on a nearby rooftop, Kirayu looked down at the battlefield before her and thought.

 _What should I do?_ The battle was nearing its end, and she likely had 5 minutes at most to decide before the conflict concluded entirely. The Big Mom Pirates would win – obviously – but it would take some time to clean up afterwards too. The enemy had given a good effort, and Kirayu thought with some dark humour that she should probably thank them for that.

Then, from the direction of the Northeastern port, an explosion of Katakuri’s aura suddenly erupted, powerful, heavy, and _searching_.

Kirayu cringed. _Okay, he discovered she wasn’t there._

This was honestly a little surprising since they had only been separated for a few minutes and the battle clearly hadn’t ended yet. It seemed she underestimated just how sensitive Katakuri was to her presence.

 _Or maybe, how important she was to him?_ A small voice suggested in the back of her head.

Kirayu knew that if she let go of this chance, then another one wouldn’t come by again so easily. The only reason Katakuri hadn’t detected this through his Observation Haki was because she really hadn’t meant to leave his side… it was all chance that led to them being separated, that gave her this opportunity.

It was like fate had grown tired of her ambivalent state over the last month and decided to throw the ball into her court, telling her to get her shit moving, Kirayu thought with a grim smile. To stay, or not to stay – that was the question.

\--

Katakuri sighed under his scarf as he speared one enemy after the other. All of these opponents were not worth his time. They were not nearly at his level. And yet, as the Commander, he needed to be here, just like Smoothie and Cracker were taking care of the other zones. He had easily dispatched of the leader a few minutes ago, and now he was just cleaning up the rest of the trash.

However, something was niggling at the back of his mind, telling him that something was amiss.

Katakuri frowned.

Everything seemed to be fine. Although the forces had been surprised, they were responding well to the attack. Another few minutes and everything would be over.

Wait. Where was that aura he always kept at the edge of his senses?

Shit.

He’d forgotten that this time, Kirayu was here on the battlefield with him. Usually, she would be back at home in the safety of his Manor and he wouldn’t need to divide his attention like so. However, this time he had made note to keep an eye on her presence since she was here fighting as well. Although he knew full well that she was capable of taking care of herself (he had made sure that through his training), he couldn't help but still be concerned.

But obviously he had forgotten and gotten caught up in the usual ebb and flow of battle.

Throwing an enemy off his trident, Katakuri let out a blast of Conqueror’s Haki, subduing friend and foe alike. There was no time to waste.

He quickly extended his powers of observation and concentrated on searching the Island they were on, scanning for that comforting aura he had gotten so accustomed to over the last few months.

His face turned ashen. He couldn’t sense her.

Katakuri could feel his heartbeat start to elevate and blood rushed to his head. He couldn't think clearly. He knew he was descending into tunnel vision, but he couldn't care less at this point. All he knew was that he had to find her. Now. 

Not out of concern that she was injured or anything - no, he was confident in her abilities and in his own training - but because he knew that if he couldn't find her right now, then he might never see her again.

Katakuri plunged both his arms into the ground, calling upon his Awakening to turn everything in the vicinity into Mochi. If he had to, he would turn this entire Island into Mochi just so that he could sense his surroundings better. He could do anything if it meant that he would be able to find her.

He didn't want to imagine never seeing her again.

He had vaguely guessed at what was bothering Kirayu the last few weeks, but he had selfishly kept silent on the issue, hoping it would resolve itself or that she would just give up and accept his invitation to join the crew. Looking back now, that wasn't such a good idea. Issues left unaddressed at the root tended to fester, and then grow to infect the whole plant.

He should have said something, done something, let go of his possessiveness a little, tried to work something out, and shit, what if his actions had driven her away?

Was she thinking good riddance as she desperately ran to flee from his possessive clutches?

These maddening thoughts drove Katakuri to the edge and his actions became all the more frantic.

\--

_“The enemy invasion has ended, but Katakuri-sama has gone mad!”_

_“He’s started a rampage! 3 blocks of buildings have already been levelled!”_

_“He’s fighting Smoothie-sama and Cracker-sama!”_

_“They’re struggling against Katakuri-sama!_ ”

\--

“Get out of my way.”

“No, Katakuri-oniichan. You can’t! If you don’t calm down, you’ll cause even more damage than the invaders did, and the entire Island will be demolished!”

That was the scene Kirayu saw first when she slowly made her way over a few minutes later. She was still concealing her presence, and so she’d be hidden until Katakuri physically sees her.

Katakuri was fighting against the other two Sweet Commanders. Although he wasn’t having an easy time, he was definitely holding his own.

Outwardly, Katakuri didn’t appear all that different from the usual, but just from his full-blown pupils, Kirayu could tell that he was in a panic. There was a hint of wildness and desperation in those crimson eyes.

 _He knows_ , Kirayu thought to herself. _He’s realized that this would be the ideal opportunity to escape, and he probably thinks I took it._

Although to outsiders Katakuri may appear stoic, to Kirayu he looked like a desperate man who had just lost his heart. She felt her own clench in empathy.

For a second, Kirayu briefly entertained the idea of staying in hiding just so that she could see what actions Katakuri would take, what lengths he would go to in order to find her, but then she decided she’d better not voluntarily seek death.

If she had decided to leave back then, then she would have had a head start and might have possibly escaped. But now that she was here, in his vicinity, she was certain that Katakuri would be able to pinpoint her as soon as he calmed down.

Kirayu took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, released her aura and then stepped out from the shadows.

Katakuri’s attention was immediately drawn to the movement in his periphery, and then his eyes widened as he took in Kirayu’s figure. _She didn’t leave?_

 _No,_ he corrected himself. _She left, and then she came back, for some inexplicable reason._

But nothing could stop the sensation of relief from overflowing in his chest, and even Katakuri was surprised for a moment. _Huh, so I’ve already fallen this deep?_

Kirayu just stood there, looking serenely at him, and in the next moment, Katakuri appeared in front of her. He embraced her in his arms, picking her up and hugging her close.

Then he said in a quiet voice that only she could hear, “Don’t go. Stay here by my side. Stay right here where I can see you everyday. Please.”

Kirayu was stunned. She had never seen Katakuri show such emotion before. She hadn’t expected him to react like this. Sure, she thought he’d be happy to see that she was still here, but not for this confession.

Kirayu let out a small smile and she gently returned the embrace. _It looks like staying was the right choice._

Before she could respond though, the sound of approaching footsteps alerted them to the fact that they had company.

“Katakuri-oniichan! Are you okay now? I came as soon as I heard you’d calmed down,” Brûlée exclaimed as she popped out from a nearby mirror.

Noticing Katakuri's strange posture and the cloaked figure he was restraining (embracing?), she asked, “Oh, who is this? A captive?”

Smoothie let out an exhale from where she was leaning against a nearby pillar, resting from the added exertion, and replied wryly, “The reason he went on this rampage, apparently.”

Katakuri took a breath and then replied, “My guest. I’ll leave my men in your care for clean-up. I’ve got other matters to attend to."

Nodding at his siblings, Katakuri turned around and strode away in the direction of the docks with Kirayu still in his arms.

Smoothie looked up in interest, pinning Kirayu with an assessing gaze. This was the first time she'd ever seen Katakuri-oniichan show such interest in someone not from the Charlotte family. They watched his back in silence as he left.

A little while's away, Kirayu stretched and looked up at the man holding her. With the scarf in place, she couldn't read his face very well, but he seemed to be in deep thoughts.

“Where are we heading?” Kirayu asked quietly.

“Home,” he answered, a little distracted.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence, but not once did Katakuri let go of Kirayu.

\--

When they arrived back at the residence on Komugi Island, Katakuri helped Kirayu out of her cloak. Fetching a blanket, he wrapped her up and settled her on the living room couch.

Finally, he turned away and settled into his armchair.

A few more minutes were spent in silence as the two watched each other.

Internally, Kirayu let out a sigh as she bemoaned the loss of his muscular arms. She had discovered that she really liked being princess carried during the journey back. His large arms were very comforting, and comfortable. _Oh well_ , she thought, _something to explore for the future._

And a future there would be – apparently – if things were heading in the direction she thought they were. Especially after this whole commotion, they were probably going to have a talk. Right about… now.

“Why did you stay?” Katakuri asked blankly, his crimson eyes unreadable and the lower half of his face hidden by the ever-present scarf.

“Why did you go on a rampage?” Kirayu countered smoothly.

Katakuri didn’t respond, and instead chose to look at her closely again. Then, it appeared he decided to try a different tactic, because he opened with, “I'm happy that you didn’t leave.”

“But, I,” at this, Katakuri took a pause, and then continued a little awkwardly, “I believe we need to have a talk.”

Kirayu was all for avoiding awkward conversations by making others take the lead, and so she just nodded her head and huddled more into the warm blanket.

Seeing that she would be of no help, Katakuri could only sigh, and then he let out a little smile. This was his hellcat – he should have known she’d be like this. Well, time to just cut to the chase then.

“Kirayu,” Katakuri began, getting her attention. “Do you like me?”

 _What?_ Kirayu lifted her head sharply. Was this how they were going to play? He saw that she was being uncooperative, and therefore decided to bring out the big guns?

When she met the other man’s gaze though, she found it hard to maintain eye contact and so she looked down again.

“Kirayu,” Katakuri prompted, feeling a bit more comfortable now at how obviously uncomfortable Kirayu was. “Speak to me, Hellcat.”

Kirayu blushed and looked up again. Upon seeing the stoic man’s intent gaze, she looked away again but this time, nodded shyly. _Get a grip, woman. Say something,_ she scolded herself. _You already know he likes you._

“Y-yes, I do.”

“R-really?”

Kirayu looked up and glared, her face still red. “What do you mean ‘really’? Couldn’t you tell with your foresight, even before you asked me?”

Katakuri leaned back on his chair, letting his head flop back over the backrest. He stared up at the ceiling and let out a low sound of happiness. “My observation doesn't work when I am emotionally agitated. You know this.”

The sound of his happy laughter jolted Kirayu back to the reality of things, and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Wow, did they finally just cleared up the ambivalent mood that had been prevalent for the last few months?

Suddenly, Kirayu felt a little shy. She curled up into a ball, and flopped down on the couch, covering her head with the blanket. She couldn’t help the smile that crept up onto her face though.

When he recovered, Katakuri sat back up and looked at the shy hellcat curled up on his sofa and couldn’t help but be reminded of the first time they’d met, when she was also curled into a ball. She looked much more comfortable this time though, trembling from embarrassment instead of twitching with tension, and he much preferred this.

Letting out another low chuckle, Katakuri stood up and approached the couch. Picking up his shy hellcat and ignoring her squawk of indignation, he sat down and then settled her onto his lap, hugging the blanket-covered lump close. He was certain that her face was red underneath the fabric.

Katakuri took a moment to enjoy the comforting weight of her against his chest, warmth expanding from where they pressed together.

“Thank you for choosing to come back, Hellcat. You may leave this island. You can also leave Totto Land. You are free. I’m sorry I didn’t realize before.”

Katakuri paused here, and then he continued solemnly, “But, you can never leave me. If you want to go somewhere, I am coming with you. Since you came back, then don’t ever think of leaving my side ever again.”

 _I know._ Kirayu thought. _But this, I am okay with._

Getting no response, Katakuri gently nudged the girl he held close. "Come on Hellcat, say something, even if you disagree. Open communication is the hallmark of a good relationship."

"Don't you know that not being possessive or controlling is also the hallmark of a good relationship," came the sound of muffled teasing.

Katakuri sighed and reached out to pull the blanket off from where he thought her head was, exposing Kirayu's face. "I don't want to control you, and I'm sorry if you ever feel that way. These feelings are new to me, and I'm a little overwhelmed as well. That's why I'm telling you everything, and you can tell me if I'm being unreasonable, but I really hope that you don't ever leave me again."

Kirayu smiled gently at the man and then leaned in to rest her head against his neck. "I was teasing, but yes I agree with your points, and thanks. I'll let you know if I ever feel uncomfortable, but I do like you, and that includes your possessiveness."

She gave him a pointed look. "Don't think I haven't noticed." 

Kirayu let out a little giggle at Katakuri's crinkled eyebrows. "When I chose to came back though, I chose to accept everything. I accept your terms."

Having said that, she buried her face into him and mumbled something incoherent.

Katakuri looked down. "What was that?"

Kirayu pulled away, her face a little red. "I said I'm kind of possessive too, and I hope you don't mind."

Katakuri smirked. "Oh? Do show me how you'll be possessive of me?"

Kirayu swatted at him and Katakuri just laughed. Then, he turn solemn. "Kirayu, shall we date?"

"There's nothing I would like more."

\--

**Day 196**

“This. Is. Fucking. Ridiculous!” Kirayu punctuated each word with an agitated wave of her hand. She and Katakuri were currently in another living room, located within the West Wing of the house, since it was bit bigger and had a nicer view.

“You won’t even talk to me about it! I want to try to understand, I don’t want to push, but you have to give me something! Why do you think I’m going to run away? Didn’t I already stay for you?” She continued.

It had been a week since the confessions, and Kirayu had thought that everything was going well until she noticed one major issue. Katakuri avoided all forms of intimate affection.

Sure, he had no problems with hugging her, or carrying her around, but he seemed to shy away from gestures such as kissing or touching.

Kirayu had almost wanted to flip a table. Was the man broken? Was that how he had resisted all her provocations for half a year? He had functional issues down there? Or was he just dense? There was no way she wasn’t being obvious enough.

At first, she had tried easing into things slowly, but soon it became very apparent that the man was simply avoiding these gestures. And Kirayu would bet all her life savings that it probably had something to do with the scarf that he always wore.

She had tried everything over the last few days to get a conversation started, but Katakuri remained stubbornly silent on the topic. If it was anything else, Kirayu would have let it go since everyone has some dark scars from their past, but this was a major roadblock to their relationship.

If they wanted to keep moving forward, then she was going to have to knock this obstacle down.

Katakuri clenched his fists, but he refused to say anything and even looked away from her.

Kirayu felt her last thread of patience snap – well, she had always been a little of a hothead, but she felt this was justified. Look, he wasn’t even looking at her now!

“Fine!” She yelled back, craning her head to look up at the obstinate man. “Fine. A while back, you told me that if I wanted a man to satisfy my needs, then I should go take a look in the local pub, right? Well I guess I’ll go do that, since it looks like we’re not going to progress any further!”

BOOM.

A loud noise reverberated throughout the mansion, startling both Kirayu and the household staff.

Katakuri had reached out and buried his fist into the closest wall beside him, his form trembling. A large portion of the wall had now collapsed, revealing the guest quarters behind it.

Kirayu was surprised, and then she immediately got into a battle-ready stance, “What, you want to fight? Come on then, I can take you.”

“No,” Katakuri gritted out, “I don't want to fight you. We are not sparring right now. But don’t you dare go out and find another man. Anyone you touch, I will definitely kill on the spot!”

“Well it’s not like you’re touching me. What, do you want me to remain celibate my whole life?” Kirayu shouted back, her voice rising in anger.

_Fuck that!_

Kirayu was so frustrated, and nothing she was trying was working. In the spur of the moment, she decided to copy Katakuri and just let out her frustrations through physical force. She lifted her right leg.

Katakuri noticed the action and his crimson eyes grew a little wide, “Wait, no, don’t-”

It was too late.

BOOM.

Another earth-shattering sound ripped through the manor, and this time, the entire floor collapsed as both Katakuri and Kirayu fell from the 3rd floor straight down to the 1st floor.

Katakuri instinctively reached out to shield Kirayu from the fall, but subsequently saw that the hellcat had managed to nimbly land on both feet, and he let out a breath of relief. Then, he got angry as well, his face darkening and a vein bulged out.

“What the hell was that?! Are you crazy?! Do you want to find another man that badly? Well you can’t! As long as I am alive, then don’t even think about going to anyone else! You’re mine!” Katakuri’s red eyes were a little wild with possessiveness.

“I _don’t_ want to find someone else!” Kirayu turned and kicked out at the North wall. Soon, that part of the building collapsed, and the nice view of the backyard garden and pond filled their sights.

“Stop kicking the mansion!” Katakuri yelled back, “You might hurt yourself! You want to fight? Okay fine come at me!”

If she were in her right state of mind, Kirayu would probably have been a little surprised. She had never seen Katakuri lose his cool like this before, or speak in anything but a calm, even-keel tone.

But she wasn’t in a calm state right now. With a yell, Kirayu charged at Katakuri.

What followed next was half an hour of a street brawl, with none of the grace or finesse that the two usually exhibited in their spars.

Neither of them fought to injure – it was mostly to release frustrations. Somewhere during the fight, the East wall and the roof also collapsed.

Near the end, Katakuri had flipped Kirayu onto her back in an over-the-shoulder throw and this time, Kirayu didn’t get up. She just laid there and stared at the stars up above, panting as she caught her breath.

Seeing her calm down, Katakuri also sat down amongst the rubble and panted with exertion.

“Show me what’s under your scarf.”

“No.”

“Show me.”

“No. Don’t pry.”

“Damnit, you rice ball. I want to kiss you, okay? I want to do things with you. I like you. I won’t run away. I had my chance to leave and I didn’t, so I sure as hell won’t for this. So show me.”

“…”

“Come on, say something. Didn't you say that open communication was the hallmark of a good relationship?”

“…No.”

“Rice ball, you’d better show me!” Kirayu sat up, her anger ignited again, and she levelled her glare at Katakuri.

Part of Katakuri’s mind was distracted by just how good his fiery hellcat looked when she was angry, and something below twitched with interest, but then the rational part of his mind pulled him back to the situation at hand. _She wanted to see so badly? Fine then! And if she dares run away, then he’ll just drag her back!_

“You really want to see?”

“Yes!”

“Fine!” Katakuri tore off his scarf in one swift movement and bared his teeth at her. Whether it was out of annoyance, anger, or just to get it over with, he didn’t know.

Kirayu’s honey-gold eyes widened.

Seeing the shock on her face, Katakuri turned away and re-wrapped his scarf. He didn’t want to see her face scrunch up in disgust or rejection.

 _I’m not running away,_ he told himself as he kicked down the South wall and then took off at a brisk pace. _I’m just going for a run to cool my head._

“Wait, no, Katakuri, come back!” Katakuri turning away and taking off jolted Kirayu out of her daze.

Seeing the other give no indication of hearing her, she raised her voice and shouted, “Come back, damnit!” while pulling up and uprooting the nearest tree she could see and throwing it South to cut off Katakuri’s path.

The booming thud of the tree trunk landing shook them both to their senses.

Katakuri stopped, a little shocked that his hellcat had thrown a _tree_ of all things to stop him, and this gave Kirayu the time to quickly run over to where the other man was standing. Leaping up, she threw herself at him and ended up hugging his neck, dangling off his broad shoulders before she wrapped her legs around his torso to stabilize herself.

“Don’t go,” she said quietly, the most subdued she’d been all night.

Katakuri sighed, his heart softening, and then he reached out to maneuver her from his back to his arms and into an embrace. “How can you even hug me? Aren’t you scared?”

“How can you even say that?” Kirayu sniffled.

Katakuri floundered a little. She was crying? Why?

“The scars on your cheeks look really old. You must have gotten then when you were very young. Do they still hurt when you eat or speak?”

“…You’re more upset about my cheeks than the teeth?”

“Of course!” Kirayu looked up and wiped her teary eyes roughly. “You must have been very young when you got those scars. I knew you had scars on your face, I’ve seen the tips of them, but I didn’t realize it was like this.”

Katakuri felt his heart melt a little more, and he didn’t even know if was possible to harbour this much love for one person. He found it a little hard to believe that someone this warm and wonderful, someone like his pretty hellcat, would actually want to be with him, wouldn't recoil even after seeing his face.

“I’m okay. It was my own dumb mistake.” He hugged her close to his chest, his own voice a little emotional. “Are you sure you’re okay with…?”

Kirayu swatted at him, “Stupid rice ball, I like you. Appearance is superficial. Though I guess your muscles are very nice. And your face is rather attractive. And your cheekbones. And your jawline. Anyways, of course I like all of you.”

“You just contradicted yourself there.”

“Shut up. Can’t you just take it as a compliment that I like you, and that I like all of you? I'm not very eloquent right now.”

Katakuri let out a low chuckle, his chest feeling a lot lighter than it had been in a long time.

“Kirayu.”

“Hmm?” Kirayu looked up. It wasn’t often that the other called her name, and so she knew whatever he said next would probably be serious.

Katakuri stared intently at her, his voice low and sultry, "I've wanted to do this for a long time already."

He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers.

\--

Katakuri started off towards the house. As he carried Kirayu back, he mentally made note that he’d have to dispatch some men over to come deal with the devastation of the West wing, but that could wait until later. He gave a quiet snicker. His hellcat was quite the destructive little thing, wasn’t she.

His heart was still beating a little fast, and a content smile refused to leave his face. 

Katakuri had been very happy when Kirayu had revealed that she had liked him too, a week ago, but then he quickly realized that they had another problem – his problem. While he wasn’t self-conscious about his face – he had only hidden it out of protective intent for his family after all, and he still stood by his childhood proclamation that if anyone dared to laugh at him then he would just beat them up – he had found it inexplicably hard to reveal himself to Kirayu for some reason.

Probably, in the depth of his heart, he was scared that she would reject him, like those from his childhood had. He didn’t mind other’s scorn, but if it came from her, then it would probably have ripped him apart.

His hellcat’s probing had been especially hard to deal with over the last week because he very much wanted to share with her what was going on, but he just couldn’t. When she had mentioned she might just leave him and find another man though, the rush of possessive rage he’d felt was almost unmanageable. Lashing out at the wall was the only thing that he could do.

Thankfully, everything had worked out. And if he played his cards right, then he might actually be able to taste the tempting hellcat in his arms soon, one of these days.

As he approached Kirayu’s bedroom though, intending to drop her off, Kirayu asked in a small voice, “Can I stay with you?”

Katakuri froze, pausing in his step. Happiness and good fortune came too suddenly that he didn’t even know how to react. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. “That’s not a good idea. I won’t be able to restrain myself if you are next to me.”

“What, no way, I thought you had amazing restraint?” Kirayu gasped in mock surprise. Then, she let out a little giggle when Katakuri turned to level his unimpressed eyes on her.

In an absolute deadpan, he replied, “I'm at my limit with you.”

Kirayu bushed. But then, she smiled, feeling a little proud that she had managed to reduce the powerful man carrying her to such a state.

Katakuri shook his head when he sensed her prideful happiness. _Why do I even like her._

Kirayu leaned back against Katakuri’s chest and rested her head against the crook of his neck. “That’s okay. I guess I _have_ been teasing you for a long time now, haven’t I. You don’t have to restrain yourself anymore.”

Katakuri took another deep breath, but he could feel his blood pumping faster and there was nothing he could do to slow his racing heart this time. “Okay.”

With that, he turned in the other direction and headed towards his own quarters.

\--

He dropped her into the bathing tub first. Kirayu spluttered as she re-surfaced, wiping the water from her face.

“What, you think I’m dirty?”

“No, but I am dirty. So I’m going to go shower first. Hence, you may as well bathe while you wait.”

“I could have at least taken my clothes off first?” Kirayu muttered.

Katakuri didn’t answer, but the tips of his ears became a little red as he headed towards the shower.

“Oh,” Kirayu reacted, and then she laughed gently. He really was quite cute at times.

She quickly stripped down, throwing her wet clothes to the side, and washed up. Katakuri could deal with it later since he was the one to drop her into the tub fully clothed in the first place.

As she closed her eyes to enjoy the warm water, she thought back on the crazy day that had just happened. Was that even real? Did they really get into a fight, demolish a fourth of the mansion, make up, share secrets, and now they were actually going to be intimate? It all seemed rather surreal.

Hearing the sound of approaching steps, Kirayu reached out with her arms.

When nothing came in contact with her, she opened her honey-gold eyes and asked impatiently, “What?”

Katakuri had a towel wrapped around his waist, but the scarf was no where to be seen. Kirayu very carefully did not react, and instead took this chance to look carefully at her lover’s face. His fangs were a bit cute, protruding from his closed lips, and while she was sure he’d look like an apex predator with his mouth opened, she wasn’t scared at all.

When he didn’t move, she smiled gently at him and raised her arms again, “Come on, pick me up.”

“You’re really not repulsed?”

“Nope.”

“You’re something else, Hellcat.” Katakuri walked over and pulled her out of the tub, his face turning a little red as he took in her nude state.

“Mm, that’s right. So you’d better hold on to me tight.” Kirayu grinned and stuck out her tongue at him. Her face was a little red too.

“Apparently so,” Katakuri pulled her close to his chest, secretly relishing in the way her soft breasts felt as they were pressed against his own pectorals. One hand reached down to provide support, and he couldn’t help with lightly caress her firm derriere as it passed.

Kirayu shivered as the man’s large, rough hands trailed over her skin. She was definitely getting a little aroused.

Katakuri smirked. “Come, let’s get you dried off so that you don’t drip all over the bed.”

A little while later, Kirayu sat on the massive bed in the center of the room and stared dumbfounded at the absolute behemoth in front of her. It wouldn’t be a lie to say that she felt a little intimidated.

Katakuri smirked at her, his male pride swelling at the sight of his chosen mate rendered speechless by his size.

Kirayu scowled up at him. “Oh stop posturing, this is literally in your genes. And yah, no matter how much I like you, that is physically not going to fit.”

“Do you think I’m a fool?” He snarked back. “Of course I know that. And don’t worry honey, I won’t hurt you. You’re far too precious to me.”

Then he looked at her with a small smile. “Do you know what makes the Mochi Mochi no Mi special?

Kirayu gave him a ‘no-shit’ kind of stare. It was obviously very special, and unlike any other paramecia fruit she had ever seen before.

“It’s that it is basically like a logia fruit. I can transform into mochi, if I’m blown apart then I’ll just reform as mochi, and I can keep things hidden inside me, like my trident as you know.”

Kirayu stared up at him, not comprehending.

Katakuri sighed. “Come on, honey, I know you’re smarter than that. If I can expand and grow bigger, extend my arms and whatnot, why can’t I shrink or grow smaller? I can literally control my body as mochi.”

“Meaning,” he continued with a smirk as Kirayu’s eyes gained a glint of understanding. In the next moment, a soft glow washed over the bedroom, and then a smaller man – still big by most standards, still towering at over 2.4 meters, but much smaller compared to Katakuri’s original 5 meters – appeared before her.

Kirayu couldn’t help but steal a glance at the man’s exposed cock. Yup, still big. Will still probably be uncomfortably big, but much more manageable.

Katakuri noticed her glance and let out a low chuckle, asking in a deep voice, “Am I to your satisfaction, Hellcat?”

Kirayu’s face burned with embarrassment and she turned her gaze away, but she still nodded shyly.

Katakuri let out a satisfied, animalistic growl, and then he approached her on the bed and leaned down on top of her, making sure to keep most of his weight on his arms so that he didn’t crush his hellcat.

“Good. Hellcat, you don’t know how long I’ve waited for this,” he whispered huskily, burying his nose into the crook of her neck, one hand trailing down to caress her smooth but firm bottom, the other reaching up to play with the swell of her breasts.

“I’m going to eat you to bits,” Katakuri promised, a hint of teasing in his piercing crimson eyes.

“Okay,” Kirayu responded, looking up at him.

“Scared?” He asked again, playfully, intentionally baring his teeth at her.

“No.” Kirayu replied calmly. She gave a soft smile and reach out her arms, gently embracing the bigger man. “I trust you.”

Katakuri felt his heart give an irregular thump. He reached up and enclosed her into a protective hold. _I swear,_ he thought, _I will do everything I can to ensure your health and happiness._

Whatever else Kirayu was about to say was then lost when Katakuri nipped gently at her neck and she let out a surprised yelp.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said you don’t know how long I’ve waited,” Katakuri muttered, a hint of grievance in his voice.

“Hahaha,” Kirayu laughed, “Awww, did I tease little Kuri too much? Initially I had thought you were broken down there, you know. Especially during this last week.”

If there’s one thing you can’t say to a man, then it’s to insinuate that his package down there didn’t function.

Katakuri growled and he slipped a leg between Kirayu’s, forcing her thighs to part. “Let me show you just how broken I am, you sly Hellcat. Teasing me every day. You must have had a lot of fun, hmm?”

Kirayu just giggled. She still wasn’t aware of how much danger she was in.

“Do you even know how hard it was for me. I took so many cold showers because of you.” He murmured piteously against her neck, whining about his past sufferings.

“Awww, poor little Kuri. I’ll make it up to you.” Kirayu chuckled, giving Katakuri’s hair a few light pats.

Katakuri’s crimson eyes gleamed brighter. “Good. I’ll hold you to that, Hellcat.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, Katakuri leaned down and caught her in a steamy kiss, his tongue probing at her lips until Kirayu granted him entrance.

Kirayu felt something entangle her tongue, and the pleasurable slip and glide of the movements was enough to drag out a breathy moan from her. One of Katakuri’s hands had found its way to her breasts again and was gently kneading, and Kirayu also reached up to drag her hand up and down those muscular abs that she had admire too many times.

Within moments, a heady, pink haze had started to fill the room, both inhabitants becoming breathy and very aroused.

Katakuri reached down a hand and gently brushed it over Kirayu’s nether region, eliciting a gasp from her. She was already wet, and Katakuri felt an adrenaline-rush at the knowledge that he could excite the woman beneath him like so.

He ran his fingers over the folds, spreading the fluid and delighting in the moan that he received, before circling the sensitive little nub at the top. And then he tapped lightly with his fingers as an indication.

“Can I lick here?” Katakuri ran his tongue over his lips, wanting to taste every inch of the delectable sight before him. However, he was still a little hesitant. Although his Hellcat had seemed fine with his teeth, was she comfortable with them being so near such a vulnerable area too?

“You can do whatever you want.” Kirayu replied breathily, caught on the tingly sensations his touches left.

Katakuri gave her an unreadable look, and then descended downwards.

It took Kirayu another moment to realize that he had been asking because of his teeth. Through the haze of her pleasure, she made a mental note that she’ll have to give him more reassurance that she really didn’t mind the lower half of his face.

Actually, his face gave him a very wild, animalistic look, and that could be very exciting for future role-plays, she thought with a giggle.

Katakuri looked up from where he had been admiring the view, and asked, “What are you so happy about?”

Kirayu sat up and looked down at the man whose head was a mere few inches away from her cavern, and felt a spike of anticipation rush up at what’s to come. “Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking you really don’t need to be so concerned. Your jaw is actually really hot. Mmm, like a beast. Super sexy. We could role-play.”

Katakuri raised an eyebrow. Was his Hellcat actually very kinky? He filed that thought away for future inspection. At this moment, he had more important things to focus on. His heart gave another twinge of warmth though, at just how thoroughly his hellcat had accepted every last aspect of him.

Bending down, he extended his tongue and gave one long, slow, lave at the sensitive flesh before him. Kirayu’s entire body twitched in response and she reflexively tried to close her legs, but Katakuri quickly reacted and held her open.

Letting out a little smirk, he slowly exhaled a puff of warm air onto it and delighted in seeing the hole quiver. “Come now, Hellcat,” Katakuri teased, “We’re only just getting started.”

Kirayu groaned, already at a loss for words. Katakuri leaned down again and this time, he gave a few more laps and set a rhythm, exploring the delicious folds and the sweet nectar that was dripping out. Finding the hole, he plunged his tongue in and experimentally gave a few thrusts, wiggling it around to explore the cave inside.

Kirayu let out a low cry, her legs shaking at the intense stimulation that she had never felt before. Her hands reached down as if to push Katakuri away, but instead gripped onto his red hair.

Katakuri felt her actions and only doubled his efforts at his ministrations. The other hand that wasn’t holding her leg down reached up and started to rub circles around her clitoris.

Kirayu could feel a pressure building up at her pelvic region, and then shuddered as a full-bodied wave of pleasure rolled out, and she couldn’t help the small cry that escaped her lips.

Katakuri lapped up the rest of the sweet nectar that was leaking out of the hole, and looked up in pride at the disheveled state he’d managed to render his hellcat to.

He probed at the entrance and then slowly inserted a finger as a test before letting out a shaky breath. Tight. She was so tight. He could already imagine what her passage would feel like clenching around his cock. At this, his neglected cock gave a twitch, beads of pre-come starting to gather at the tip.

He reached down and gave himself a few strokes, relishing in the pleasure it gave him, and then turned his attention back to the hellcat laid out like a divine feast before him. He had already waited this long; he could wait a little longer.

“K-Katakuri-sama...”

“Mm?” He looked up, feeling that it was a shame to tear his gaze away from such a lovely sight, but then immediately decided that his hellcat’s flushed and adorable face was also a lovely sight as well.

“I, I’ve never done this before.”

 _What?_ He furrowed his brows, a little confused. “Where did you get all the material that you teased me with then?”

“I, um,” Kirayu looked away shyly. “I read a lot of books. There’s a lot of, um, graphic scenes, I liked.”

Katakuri was a little infuriated that the last few torturous months he’d experienced all came from some fantasy romance novels _, (all that suffering!),_ but the beast within him purred with satisfaction that the girl before him was entirely unclaimed. That he would be the first. And he would be the last. No one other than him would see this pretty girl laid out like a beautiful feast, just waiting for him to enjoy.

Katakuri let out a low exhale to calm his racing heart.

He carefully inserted and withdrew his finger, letting Kirayu get used to the protrusion. Secretly, he relished in the way her pretty pink hole quivered every time he withdrew, as if it were seeking for him, as if it wasn’t whole, complete, without him.

He took extra care in stretching her out, especially now that he knew he was going to be her first. First times were generally uncomfortable, and he knew that he was quite big, so he was going to do what he could to make this a night that she would remember fondly.

He added in another finger and then scissored them, trying to stretch out her cavern. Kirayu gave a little groan of discomfort, and Katakuri quickly reached up his other hand to rub soothing circles along her hip and stomach.

“I, I’m okay.” Kirayu managed to say shakily. “You can put it in. Just, be slow, please.”

Katakuri’s fingers paused - hearing his little hellcat begging was doing wonders for his libido. He too felt that she was probably ready now, and anything else would just be delaying the inevitable.

Withdrawing his fingers, a little pop sounded from the suction and Katakuri had to breathe deeply. He was so aroused right now that it was getting hard to think, but he could do this. He glanced down at his cock and found to no surprise that it was an angry red colour, throbbing with need. _Restraint. Restraint._ He chanted like a mantra in his head.

Katakuri moved up and leaned forward, embracing his hellcat firmly. It felt so good to be able to hold her in his arms. Kirayu also reached up to wrap her arms around him.

Katakuri exhaled shakily. Finally. Finally, after months of torturous temptation, he was finally going to get the release he craved. The blunt tip of his manhood bumped lightly against her entrance, and then it began to slide in. Slowly, it went in, bit by bit.

“Try to relax,” he coaxed gently while at the same time exerting all his restraint to not just pound forward like he really wanted to do. “You’re doing great, Hellcat. You’re taking me in. Come on, relax for me.”

Under his praise, Kirayu felt like she was floating a little, and she did her best to relax. Besides, she also really wanted him to be fully sheathed within her. She exhaled slowly, and then loosened her clenching canal.

Katakuri pushed forward in one swift motion, and the last bit of him went in.

And it was like a gear that slotted together. A puzzle piece that fit just right. It was perfect. They both moaned in unison.

Katakuri held still to give Kirayu a moment to adjust, his body trembling with tension, and when she nodded at him, he started to thrust forward.

Once he began, it was hard to stop. He tried to go slowly, mindful of her first time, but the need and the temptation over the last few months had driven him to the very limits of his patience and restraint and soon, Katakuri was setting a brisk pace.

Kirayu groaned at the foreign intrusion pounding in and out of her. She tried to open her mouth to tell the stupid rice ball to slow down, but she found that she couldn’t form the words. The only thing she could do was to cling to his body and ride it out. Feelings and sensations of pleasure hit her over and over again, and she found it was slightly hard to breathe.

Katakuri gripped tightly onto the soft body beneath him, his mind already lost in the pleasures coming from his groin and the satisfaction of finally taking what had been taunting him for months.

He thrusted in and out, one of his large hands reaching down to rest on her waist, steadying her as he pounded in harder and harder.

“Ah, ah, Katakuri-sama,” Kirayu cried out as she held on to his muscled arms and chest, trying to gain some stability.

“Nghn,” Katakuri grunted as he threw himself into oblivion.

The two powerhouses lost themselves in each other.

A few minutes later, his movements turned jerky and he released and spilled his seed inside her, giving a few more stuttered thrusts as he rode out his high.

With the last of his seed shot out, Katakuri pulled out his spent member and collapsed face-first onto the bed next to Kirayu, but not before reaching out a hand to drape across her waist, pulling her possessively closer to him.

Kirayu also panted harshly, this form of exercise being one that she had never experienced before. It had to have only been a minute, before she heard a husky voice drawl out, “Do you want to try a different position? You can control the pace this time.”

“What?” Kirayu turned her head to look at the bigger man. She was still trying to catch her breath, and he was thinking about what?

Katakuri grinned and turned over. Then he pulled Kirayu onto his stomach, having her straddle his waist. “How about like this, hmm?”

Something hard poked at Kirayu’s bum, from behind where she was sitting. She looked up in disbelief. _Already?_

Katakuri sat up and propped a pillow behind him, leaning against the headboard of the bed. He dragged a hand down the curves of Kirayu’s body, enjoying the soft and warm sensation.

Kirayu felt goosebumps rise up from where Katakuri touched her. She felt as if there was something at the edge of her mind, warning her that she was in a dangerous situation, but there was no way out already. She was already caught.

Katakuri let out a big smile that was full of teeth. Yes, he was going to eat up all of this tempting little infuriating hellcat today.

“Come on, lift your hips. You can control the speed this time. Was I a little fast earlier? I’m sorry. That was all my bad. I was just too excited to finally hold you in my arms,” he gently coaxed.

Kirayu listened to Katakuri’s instructions half dazedly. It was only when she felt the hard member slip back into her that she realized it was actually happening again.

“Hey, wait,” she tried, waving her arms and grabbing onto Katakuri’s shoulders for balance. “Ah!”

Kirayu was cut short as Katakuri jerked his hips upward, and then started to set a brutal pace, his large hands settling on her waist and bouncing her up and down.

The sight of her bouncing breasts only served to excite him more, and he could feel himself get a little harder.

Kirayu glared at him, though it wasn’t very effective with her flushed cheeks and breathy pants. Katakuri just thought it looked very cute. He couldn’t resist leaning down and kissing her.

The kiss then turned into him licking a strip down her neck. One of his hands reached up to fondle a hardening nipple, as he nuzzled his hellcat’s neck. _Mm, she smells so good._

“What happened to me controlling the pace?!” Kirayu could only hang on for dear life.

Katakuri grinned unabashedly. “I’m sorry, Hellcat. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

He brought them both over to the edge of the abyss once again.

\--

Kirayu stretched contentedly, cuddled in her lover’s arms, exhausted.

His arms were a protective embrace around her, and while others may think his overbearing possessiveness a cage, it wasn’t a cage to her if she was willingly here. Besides, she could easily admit that she was just as possessive of him.

As she was drifting off, her eyelids feeling heavy from the exertion of the long day, she felt the man beside her gently roll her onto her side. The next moment, the hand which had been possessively draped across her waist started to trail downwards over the curve of her derriere and slowly approach her cavern.

Kirayu’s honey-gold eyes shot open.

“Wait, Katakuri-sama, I- ”

“Shh, call me Sensei. There’s still some moves that Sensei wants to show you, and then we can practice together, okay?”

“Wait, I’m tired- ”

“Didn’t you say you’ll make it up to me?” Katakuri pouted cutely. “I’ve been holding back so much these last few months. It’s been very hard for me, you know.”

“I…” Kirayu was at a loss for words.

Katakuri just calmly looked at her, and then he let out an absolutely wicked smirk. “Don’t worry, Sensei will do all of the work.”

He punctuated these words with a sensual roll of his hips, grinding down against her. “You can count on Sensei. Just lie back and learn. This lesson isn't over yet.”

Kirayu stared up with dawning horror, realizing for the first time that she might have fucked up.

After all, you can only poke a sleeping beast so many times before it decides to get up.

* * *

**Author’s Comment:**

Kirayu: Holy shit what did I get myself into

Katakuri: Let me show my angel hellcat all my love _*thrust thrust*_

**

Damages incurred:  
\- more training arenas  
\- an outside training field  
\- infrastructural damage to an unknown Island  
(though thankfully not the whole island, which would have happened if Katakuri’s rampage hadn’t been stopped)  
\- Katakuri’s heart (briefly)  
\- the entire west wing of Katakuri’s mansion  
\- that poor tree and the ground it crashed into  
\- the bed??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your enthusiasm drives me! Please leave a Kudos or a Comment~


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